Yoma 40

ואי סלקא דעתך מחצות דאורייתא היא היכי מקדמינן (והיכי מאחרינן)

if the thought should arise in you that midnight is a time fixed by the Torah, how could it be anticipated [or postponed]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Since before midnight it is not considered consumed. Rashi omits 'or postponed' which is bracketed in cur. edd. Tosaf. retains it explaining it on the principle that 'the zealous perform a religious duty as early as possible'.]');">¹</span> - Rather said R'Johanan: By mere logical conclusion from the text 'All the night' would I not know that it means until the morning, why then the teaching 'until the morning'? Add another morning to the 'morning of the night',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The morning of the night' is the dawn. The additional morning is the margin of before and after the cockcrow.');">²</span>

אלא אמר ר' יוחנן ממשמע שנא' כל הלילה איני יודע שהוא עד הבקר ומה ת"ל עד הבקר תן בקר לבקרו של לילה

Hence every day one would remove the ashes at cockcrow, either before or after being ample [time]. On the Day of Atonement, when the high priest is weak, we do it about midnight and on the Feasts when many Israelites are present and many sacrifices<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since there were many ashes and they had all to be removed for the 'apple' to be imposing, they started earlier on these days.');">³</span> are offered we do it from the first watch, as indeed the reason therefore is indicated: BEFORE THE COCKCROW APPROACHED, THE TEMPLE COURT WAS FULL OF ISRAELITES.

הלכך בכל יום תורמין את המזבח בקריאת הגבר או סמוך לו בין מלפניו בין מלאחריו סגיא ביוה"כ דאיכא חולשא דכ"ג עבדינן מחצות וברגלים דנפישי ישראל ונפישי קרבנות עבדינן מאשמורת הראשונה כדקתני טעמא לא היתה קריאת הגבר מגעת עד שהית' עזרה מלאה מישראל

What does 'keri'ath ha-geber'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The call of 'geber'. That word means in Hebrew both 'man' and 'cock'. Hence it may mean that the work started at cockcrow or as soon as the man (officer) called them in the morning.');">⁴</span> mean? - Rab said: The call of a man,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The officer summoned all, priests, Levites, and Israelites, to their respective duties.');">⁵</span> R'Shila: The call of the cock.

מאי קריאת הגבר רב אמר קרא גברא רבי שילא אמר קרא תרנגולא

Rab came to the place of R'Shila, when there happened to be no interpreter<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Amora (v. Glos.) . The Rabbi taught in Hebrew, which he spoke to the interpreter. The latter translated the lecture into Aramaic, the language of the people, as against Hebrew, more and more the language of the scholars (Rashi) .');">⁶</span> to stand next to R'Shila, so Rab took the stand next to him and interpreted 'keriath hageber' as 'the call of the man'. R'Shila said to him: Would you, Sir, interpret it as: Cockcrow! Rab replied: 'A flute is musical to nobles, but give it to weavers, they will not accept it'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., fools would criticize, where men of taste admire.');">⁷</span>

רב איקלע לאתריה דרבי שילא לא הוה אמורא למיקם עליה דרבי שילא קם רב עליה וקא מפרש מאי קריאת הגבר קרא גברא אמר ליה רבי שילא ולימא מר קרא תרנגולא א"ל אבוב לחרי זמר לגרדאי לא מקבלוה מיניה

When I stood before R'Hiyya and interpreted 'keriath ha-geber' as the 'call of the man' he did not object to it and you say to me: Say, perhaps, the cock's crow! He said: Sir, you are Rab, would you sit down, Sir!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Do not continue as my interpreter. You are too big to serve me.');">⁸</span> He replied: People say: If you have hired yourself away [to someone] pull his wool!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Having undertaken the task, I will complete it, unconcerned about questions of dignity.');">⁹</span> Some say: Thus did he reply to him: One may promote a man in holy things, but not demote<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The next interpreter may know very little and it would be a sort of disgrace for you to have to put up with an ignoramus after my service, The emphasis is on the ignoramus, not on any implied self-praise.');">¹⁰</span>

כי הוה קאימנא עליה דר' חייא ומפרישנא מאי קריאת הגבר קרא גברא ולא אמר לי ולא מידי ואת אמרת לי אימא קרא תרנגולא א"ל מר ניהו רב נינח מר א"ל אמרי אינשי אי תגרת ליה פוץ עמריה איכא דאמרי הכי א"ל מעלין בקדש ולא מורידין

him. There is a teaching in accordance with Rab, and there is also a teaching in accord with R'Shila. There is a teaching in accord with Rab: What does Gebini the Temple crier call out: Arise, ye priests for your service, Levites for your platform, Israel for your post! And his voice was audible for three parasangs.

תניא כותיה דרב תניא כותיה דרבי שילא תניא כותיה דרב גביני כרוז מהו אומר עמדו כהנים לעבודתכם ולוים לדוכנכם וישראל למעמדכם והיה קולו נשמע בשלש פרסאות

It happened that King Agrippa who came along travelling, heard his voice from three parasangs, and as he came home, he sent gifts to him. Nevertheless, the high priest is more excellent than even he, for the Master said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 39b.');">¹¹</span> It has happened already that when he prayed 'Oh Lord' that his voice was heard in Jericho, and Rabbah B'Bar Hana said in the name of R'Johanan: From Jerusalem to Jericho is a distance of ten parasangs:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">¹²</span>

מעשה באגריפס המלך שהיה בא בדרך ושמע קולו בג' פרסאות וכשבא לביתו שיגר לו מתנות ואעפ"כ כ"ג משובח ממנו דאמר מר וכבר אמר אנא השם ונשמע קולו ביריחו ואמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן מירושלים ליריחו י' פרסי

and although here there is weakness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The weakness due to the Fast.');">¹³</span> and there none, and here it is day and there night;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The high priest prayed during the day, when his voice would be less audible because of the revolution of the sun.');">¹⁴</span> for R'Levi said: Why is the voice of man not heard by day as it is heard by night?

ואע"ג דהכא איכא חולשא והכא ליכא חולשא והכא יממא והתם ליליא

Because of the revolution<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the wheel', V. Otzar ha-Geonim, a.l.: 'There is a voice heard now in Babylon, sounding from pools, and connected trenches, a harsh voice, which is ascribed to Ridya. Thus also do the Ishmaelites (Muslim Arabs) call it. It sounds from the month of Iyar through the harvest'. V. Ginzberg, Geonica, I, 345');">¹⁵</span> of the sun which saws in the sky like a carpenter sawing cedars. Those sunmotes are called 'la',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nothing, to which is equal a mere mote, a particle.');">¹⁶</span>

דא"ר לוי מפני מה אין קולו של אדם נשמע ביום כדרך שנשמע בלילה מפני גלגל חמה שמנסר ברקיע כחרש המנסר בארזים והאי חירגא דיומא לא שמיה והיינו דקאמר נבוכדנצר (דניאל ד, לב) וכל דיירי ארעא (כלא) חשיבין

and with reference to them Nebuchadnezzar said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ran. IV, 32. And 'in the inhabitants of the world are reputed as nothing is ad hoc translated 'as sun-motes'.');">¹⁷</span> And all the inhabitants of the world are considered as 'la'. Our Rabbis taught: Were it not for the revolution of the sun, the sound of the tumult of Rome would be heard: and were it not for the sound of the tumult of Rome, the sound of the revolution of the sun would be heard.

ת"ר אלמלא גלגל חמה נשמע קול המונה של רומי ואלמלא קול המונה של רומי נשמע קול גלגל חמה ת"ר שלש קולות הולכין מסוף העולם ועד סופו ואלו הן קול גלגל חמה וקול המונה של רומי וקול נשמה בשעה שיוצאה מן הגוף וי"א אף לידה

Our Rabbis taught : There are three voices<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Aliter: reputation.');">¹⁸</span> going from one end of the world to the other: The sound of the revolution of the sun; the sound of the tumult of Rome, and the sound of the soul as it leaves the body. Some say also the sound of childbirth